24 August 2012

On August 23, 2012, Deputies assigned to the Rapides Parish Sheriff’s Office Metro Division followed up on a continuous complaint of drug sales and subjects drinking alcohol in the street all day around the area of 8th and Compton Streets.

Detectives received letters and phone calls from neighborhood residents asking for help resolving this problem. [emphasis added by rpso]

Deputies targeted the area and several times were unable to locate any drugs, but the same suspects were always present.

Some of the recent communications to deputies included locations where the drugs were being hidden.

Deputies conducted surveillance and located Jerald Smith and Christopher Peace who were drinking alcohol in the middle of the road.

Deputies located a large bag of marijuana hidden by a tree adjacent to Jerald Smith’s residence, just where the information had stated it would be.

Jerald Smith was on house arrest at the time of the investigation, from a previous Possession of CDS I to Distribute charge.

Both arrestees initially denied knowledge of the Marijuana, but upon arriving at the jail made comments to the contrary.

"I have said this before recently, but we appreciate this type of community involvement" said Sheriff William Earl Hilton. "We are here to help the community because they are tired of this activity in their neighborhoods."